US3857987A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Wet milling of coarse ground wheat and other cereal grains
Assignee: Primary Products Ingredients Americas LLC
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Filing: 1973-12-26
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Granted: 1974-12-31
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Expires: 1993-12-26
Abstract
Abstract An improved wet milling process for obtaining starch, vital gluten and a balanced protein bran, germ and fiber animal feed from coarse ground wheat without acid steeping, alkali treatment, or dry roll milling of the grain kernels. The coarsely ground kernels are directly formed into a coarse grain batter using only fresh water with no additives, and the prime grade starch is washed away from the vital gluten in the coarse batter in the natural pH range of 3-6 for both starch and gluten with no denaturing of the gluten due to salt, alkali, or other chemical additives. Dewatered bran germ and fiber are collected together, and the mixture has a relatively high level of nutritive protein and cellulose bulk which makes it a well-balanced animal feed. The wheat kernel is carefully fractionated to avoid physical, chemical and nutritional damage to each of its valuable components, and the pH of the recirculated wash waters remains below 6, more specifically about 5.8, to give a yield of about 53% by weight starch; 9% vital gluten; and 29% protein containing bran, germ and fiber. The protein values for the vital gluten so obtained are at least 80% by weight. The dewatered bran, germ and fiber obtained from this process have the following approximate analysis which is considered an ideal balance for animal feeds: AT 9.4% PROTEIN 2.8% FAT 3.77% ASH 47.9% STARCH
Inventors
- 👤 S Rogols
- 👤 E Hueckel
- 👤 J Salter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 19:09
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08B; C08B30/00; C08B30/04; C08B30/042; C08B30/046; A; A23; A23J; A23J1/00; A23J1/12; A23K; A23K10/00; A23K10/30; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S426/00; Y10S426/807
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING STARCH, VITAL GLUTEN, AND A NUTRITIOUR MIXTURE OF BRAN GERM AND FIBER FROM CERAL GRAINS, THE STEPS COMPRISING: A. DRY GRINDING THE GRAIN KERNELS TO A COARSE PARTICLE SIZE SUCH THAT 91-95% OF SAID PARTICLES WILL PASS THROUGH A NO. 14 MESH SCREEN; 80-90% WILL PASS THROUGH A NO. 20 MESH SCREEN; AND 40-56% WILL PASS THROUGH A NO. 45 MESH SCREEN, B. FORMING A DOUGH BY MIXING ABOUT ONE PART BY WEIGHT OF SAID COARSELY GROUND GRAIN WITH AN EQUAL PART OF WATER AND KNEADING TOGETHER FOR ABOUT ONE HALF HOUR; C. ALLOWING SAID DOUGH TO SIT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES D. SEPARATING THE STARCH AND GLUTEN IN SAID DOUGH BY SUBJECTING SAID DOUGH TO THE COMBINED ACTION OF A WATER WASH AND MECHANICAL SHEARING OF THE VISCOUS GLUTEN STRANDS FORMED IN THE DOUGH TO EXPOSE ADDITIONAL STARCH TO THE WASH STREAMS; E. COLLECTING THE STARCH FROM SAID WASH WATERS SEPARATELY FROM THE VISCOUS GLUTEN; F. SEPARATING THE BRAN, FIBER AND GERM FROM SAID STARCH; AND G. SEPARATELY COLLECTING AND DRYING SAID GLUTEN FROM WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE STARCH, GERM, BRAN AND FIBER HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO OBTAIN A VITAL GLUTEN PRODUCT CONTAINING AT LEAST 75% PROTEIN.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
203 words
A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING STARCH, VITAL GLUTEN, AND A NUTRITIOUR MIXTURE OF BRAN GERM AND FIBER FROM CERAL GRAINS, THE STEPS COMPRISING: A. DRY GRINDING THE GRAIN KERNELS TO A COARSE PARTICLE SIZE SUCH THAT 91-95% OF SAID PARTICLES WILL PASS THROUGH A NO. 14 MESH SCREEN; 80-90% WILL PASS THROUGH A NO. 20 MESH SCREEN; AND 40-56% WILL PASS THROUGH A NO. 45 MESH SCREEN, B. FORMING A DOUGH BY MIXING ABOUT ONE PART BY WEIGHT OF SAID COARSELY GROUND GRAIN WITH AN EQUAL PART OF WATER AND KNEADING TOGETHER FOR ABOUT ONE HALF HOUR; C. ALLOWING SAID DOUGH TO SIT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES D. SEPARATING THE STARCH AND GLUTEN IN SAID DOUGH BY SUBJECTING SAID DOUGH TO THE COMBINED ACTION OF A WATER WASH AND MECHANICAL SHEARING OF THE VISCOUS GLUTEN STRANDS FORMED IN THE DOUGH TO EXPOSE ADDITIONAL STARCH TO THE WASH STREAMS; E. COLLECTING THE STARCH FROM SAID WASH WATERS SEPARATELY FROM THE VISCOUS GLUTEN; F. SEPARATING THE BRAN, FIBER AND GERM FROM SAID STARCH; AND G. SEPARATELY COLLECTING AND DRYING SAID GLUTEN FROM WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE STARCH, GERM, BRAN AND FIBER HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO OBTAIN A VITAL GLUTEN PRODUCT CONTAINING AT LEAST 75% PROTEIN.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process of claim 1, in which the dry grinding of the grain particles is performed on an impact type hammermill provided with an arcuate slotted screen having openings in the size range of 0.028 inch to 0.046 inch through which the particles must pass before being collected.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 2, in which the arcuate slotted screen has 0.046 inch openings, and the particles give the foLlowing screen size distribution:
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 2, in which the arcuate slotted screen is provided with 0.028 inch openings, and the screen analysis is:
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 2, in which the cereal grain is wheat, and the screen analysis is:
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 1, in which the cereal grain is wheat, and the pH during dough forming and washing is allowed to seek its natural level in the range of 3-6.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 6, in which the dough and wash pH are about 5.8.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1, which is performed using only water additions and removals with chemical additions, and the pH throughout the process is allowed to seek its natural level with no chemically induced adjustments.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1, in which the dry grinding frees substantially whole and intact germ particles from the cracked grain kernels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The process of claim 1, in which the cereal grain is wheat, and the yield by weight is: 53% starch; at least 9% vital gluten having a protein analysis of at least 75% by weight; and about 29% bran, germ and fiber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 10, in which the dewatered bran, germ and fiber fraction has the following nutritional analysis (by weight): 9.4% protein; 2.8% fat; 3.8% ash; and 47.9% carbohydrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
161 words
The process of claim 1, in which the separation of the starch and gluten is performed in a gluten washing device comprising an elongated, generally U-shaped trough disposed at an inclined angle of about 30* from the horizontal, a pair of oppositely flighted augers disposed in the trough, drive means for said augers, said augers being rotatably driven to rotate towards each other and downwardly when viewed from above, and adapted to mix, grind and shear said dough, an inlet for receiving said dough at the lower end of said trough, means for supplying water to said trough to wash said dough to carry away starch from the gluten in the dough, said water flowing downwardly through a wash water outlet disposed at the lower end of said trough, and a vital gluten outlet disposed at the upper end of said trough for passage therethrough, and collection of washed, vital gluten from which the major portion of starch has been removed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-30 | 1978-07-01 | 1978-12-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-30 | 1982-07-01 | 1982-12-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-30 | 1986-07-01 | 1986-12-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |